Page 460 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

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1929

Sunday 21st [July]

Went to see Jasim Kanoo in the morning as I had asked him to come and see me and had forgotten to be in, I was up at
the Fort when he came. He wants to rent a piece of ground, sea, on the side of the Manama Muharrak road like Khalil
Moayad. We are now leasing on long leases, 99 years. Some of the people seem to understand the idea. Then to the
Customs where I had a talk to D.G. about the passport business which is becoming rather complicated. Then to see
how the fish market goes on. It is nearly done now. Dined out at the Portuguese Fort with Shaikh Mohamed. We
arrived rather late having been invited an hour before sunset in time to see the garden. We walked about in it for some
time and then had dinner on the top of the bank above the moat. Very pretty looking across the tops of the palm trees
to the sea, and a full moon came up over the walls of the fort while we were at dinner. Quite a good meal and very
well cooked meat. The others were his son Rashid, and his young son, back from Beyrout, and two other small boys.
The young one, Khalifa, has very bad manners, I have noticed it before. His other sons are all very well mannered. He
talked quite interestingly about the history of Bahrain and about the different feelings of different sects of Mohamedans
about dogs, the Metheb to which the Khalifa belong do not mind them, but other sects, Sunnis as well as Shias,
consider them unclean. After dinner we went to bathe in Idari and found the Strakers giving a dinner party there. Mrs
Straker seems to have taken a dislike to Prior. It was very nice bathing there. The dinner party seemed rather fed up at
our being there. Very pleasant cool weather, windy and rather misty at sea but not too hot.

Monday 22nd July

Court. Didnt go out till late and then went to Idari and afterwards to the Bank so very late for dinner. No news to write
about, dull day.

Tuesday 23rd [July]

Muharrak Biladya meeting. Nothing very interesting. Had a look at the new road which they are making along the sea
front. It is getting on very well. Came back by sailing boat as a good wind blowing.

In the afternoon went down the Shaikh's bazaar with Haji Seggar and Ali bin Hussein to see the
boundaries of the various parts. The time for re letting it has arrived but there doesnt seem to be as much demand for it
as there was last year. Then motored round the back of the town and asked about some of the houses, whether they had
title deeds or not, most of them are now paying ground rent to the Government. Then back to the Agency and out to
Idari. Went into the Agency when we got back and had some iced beer, a drink which I have taken rather a liking to.
Prior was having the pearl merchants, Bank and D.G. to dinner. The Shaikh is due back in Manama tomorrow but I
dont know how long he will stay this time. He seems very restless this year.

Wednesday [24 July]

Fort. Went down to the Joint Court. Talked to the Shaikh about the land schemes and also about the Biladya and ghee.
He paid no attention to the Court which was going on all the time. Decided to buy 1500 barrels of cement from